KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The worst loss of what is again a miserable Chiefs season has an organization on tilt.

Players are angrier. Openly questioning themselves. The questions they’re asked and presumably asking themselves are sharper, realer, and based less on speculation and frustration of the moment than another limp showing in front of a fan base that deserves better.

Those questions start with whether the head coach can stay through this.

Because more than anything else, the Chiefs’ pitiful 17-10 loss to the Broncos makes two Sundays in a row they’ve been outplayed and outcoached by dogs.

In a season that began with blowouts of historic scale, this is rock-bottom. At least so far. In a locker room where one constant positive had always been that the guys played hard for coach Todd Haley, nothing is certain anymore.

“These guys have had their backs against the wall,” he says. “I don’t think that they’re going to decide to give in at this point.”

Speculation about the personal relationship between Haley and general manager Scott Pioli has missed the point. If Haley isn’t around next year, it won’t be because he doesn’t get along with his boss.

This will read like a cruel and unfunny joke but it’s absolutely true: The Chiefs had, by all accounts, a terrific week of practice. Haley said Thursday may have been their best all year.

And now, the Chiefs feel broken in a way that hasn’t existed at least since first two blowout losses. And really, at least then, the Chiefs were dealing with three torn knees and playing good teams.

What we’ve seen the last two weeks — particularly Sunday — is the kind of thing that can bring major change, even to an organization that prioritizes continuity.

Remember before the season started, when a lot of us thought the Chiefs could get better in the big picture even if their record regressed from last year’s 10-6 division champion?

Instead, what we’ve seen is two significant steps back in consecutive home games at a crucial point in the season.

The Chiefs have beaten a winless team, a 2-6 team, one that started Kyle Boller at quarterback, and another that literally fumbled away a win in the fourth quarter.

Three of their five losses have been by an average of 36 points, and the latest is against a team that lost its top two tailbacks in the first quarter and played with a quarterback who can’t pass.

The Broncos are bad enough that many fans and media openly question whether coach John Fox is trying to win games or prove that Tim Tebow can’t play quarterback.

Or, think of it like this: the Broncos became the third NFL team since 1982 to win while completing two or fewer passes. The Browns did it with Jamal Lewis on offense and three turnovers on defense in 2009.

The Bengals did it when Corey Dillon rushed for 278 yards in 2000.

Denver did it while being led in rushing by someone named Lance Ball, who managed 96 yards on 30 carries.

The Broncos entered with one of the worst defenses in the NFL, giving up an average of 374 yards and 28 points. The Chiefs managed 258 and 10.

“Words can’t describe how I feel right now,” Le’Ron McClain says. “I’m going to try to keep my spirits up, but really, I’m just ticked off how we came out today.”

Too much has been made about the personal relationship between Haley and Pioli. They are very different people who would never socialize together, but the professional relationship isn’t untenable.

Nobody can be sure how or when this will end for Haley, but if he doesn’t make it to next season, these two games and a failed preseason plan that led to the first two blowouts will be among the biggest reasons.

MONTREAL — It’s a big deal to play or coach hockey in Montreal and Toronto, and for first-year Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, it’s bound to be extra special because it will be his first time in those historic Original Six markets. Indeed, the Canadian native from Yorkton, Saskatchewan, has never been to the Bell Centre or Air Canada Centre — where...

Shortly before the season began, Holmes, who had been dealing with a nagging hip since September, finally went in to get an X-ray to get the injury addressed. That X-ray revealed a mass on his hip, and following a biopsy, doctors diagnosed Holmes with Osteosarcoma.